DANA CROWELL TO BE NAMED NMB POLICE CHIEF, TOMMY DENNIS TO BECOME ASSOCIATE JUDGE

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – North Myrtle Beach Police Captain, Dana Crowell, will be named the new Police Chief on Friday, January 6, 2023. A swearing-in ceremony will be held at City Hall at 3 p.m.

The current Police Chief, Tommy Dennis, will be taking on the role of Associate Judge. City Manager, Mike Mahaney, is naming Crowell the new Police Chief.

Crowell will become the eighth police chief since the City of North Myrtle Beach was incorporated in 1968. She will also become the department’s first female police chief.

Crowell was appointed to the position of Professional Standards Captain in 2020 and is currently responsible for the daily operations of the agency as well as Internal Investigations and Departmental Hiring. During her twenty years as a law enforcement professional with the North Myrtle Beach Police Department she has proven herself to be a competent and forward-thinking leader. 

BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS FOR CAPTAIN DANA CROWELL

• Crowell is an active member of various professional organizations including:
• The National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives
• The International Association of Chiefs of Police
• The South Carolina Police Chief Association
• The Southern Police Institute's Alumni Association
• The North Myrtle Beach Rotary Club
• The South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association

Crowell is a graduate of the University of Louisville's Southern Police Institute's 134th Administrative Officers Course and holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia University, in Columbia South Carolina as well as an Associate Degree of Science in Criminal Justice from Horry-Georgetown Technical College.

BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS FOR CHIEF TOMMY DENNIS

• Chief Tommy Dennis began his law enforcement career in North Myrtle Beach on February 3, 1997, after graduating with a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of South Carolina in 1996.
• He began as a uniform patrol officer and bike patrol officer before being promoted to Criminal Investigations in 2001, where he worked for nearly 11 years.
• He was promoted to and served as a Patrol Sergeant from July of 2012 until being promoted to Police Lieutenant in August of 2015.
• He also served in the Department’s Honor Guard from 2012 until 2016.
• He became Chief of Police in June of 2020, and he has ultimately served this City he loves so much for almost 26 years.

Chief Dennis will be appointed an Associate Judge for the City of North Myrtle Beach Municipal Court and is anticipating a wonderful new chapter in his career as a life-long public servant.

Crowell is very excited about her new position within the agency and looks forward to serving the members of the department, as well as the citizens and visitors of the great City of North Myrtle Beach.